


somebody to love

by dontburnout, lizzythefinallyrealizedlesbian



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang (Avatar) Is Not The Avatar, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern with Bending (Avatar), Angst, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Smoking, Violence, Zuko (Avatar) Deserves Nice Things, Zuko (Avatar) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar) is Bad at Feelings, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, this literally started the whole fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:29:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29509728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontburnout/pseuds/dontburnout, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzythefinallyrealizedlesbian/pseuds/lizzythefinallyrealizedlesbian
Summary: a modern AU where sokka and zuko meet at a frat party because there is this giant asshole of a guy who won't leave zuko alone. things happen and these two idiots somehow completely misread each other.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 91





	1. would you be so kind

Sokka is honestly just hanging out, nursing a drink in his hand when he hears an argument break out right next to him. And spare him for being nosy but it sounded like it was getting serious.

“Get the hell away from me!” He heard a hoarse and raspy voice yell. All Sokka had to do was look to his left and he saw the two guys causing the commotion. 

The shortest of the two has a scowl on his face, anger radiating off of him. He had pale skin and dark hair that flopped down on his forehead. The other guy, a tall athletic meathead type, was obviously the culprit because he was reaching out to grab the shorter man’s waist.

Someone can’t catch a hint.

Sokka frowned, furrowing his brows. Why is no one throwing this guy out? Everyone is just standing there watching it happen or pretending that nothing is going on. Tui and La, he can’t stand how uncaring people can be. Fuck this.

Sokka pushes himself off of the wall and walks right into the crowd, heading directly for the pair. When he gets to them, he shoves his hand between them, standing directly in front of the shorter man.

With his arms crossed over his chest, he cocks an eyebrow and stares. Body language indicating he’s not afraid of a fight and will _most_ _definitely_ start one if he has to.

If there’s anything he’s learned growing up as a non-bender, it’s how to defend himself. 

“Is there a problem here?” The meathead scoffed and stumbled just a little. Of course, he’s been drinking too much and just decided he could harass someone that clearly wants nothing to do with him. _Fucking asshole_. He tries to shove Sokka aside and well. That wasn’t the only mistake he’s made tonight.

Sokka grips the arm on his shoulder and pushes back. “I strongly advise you don’t do that. Now again, is there a reason you’re bothering _my boyfriend_?”

“Boyfriend? You said you didn’t have one!”

Sokka blanks for a second, not having thought of that. “He doesn’t have to explain himself to you. _Back the fuck off_ .” _Good, some quick thinking for once, good job Sokka._ The drunk man gets visibly angrier but starts walking away, seemingly done being a pain in the ass.

That is until Sokka hears him say, “Fine, you can have him. He’s fucking _disfigured_ anyway.”

The crowd of people around them gasps and he feels the man beside him tense up. Sokka’s blood is boiling and he doesn’t hesitate for a second before pulling the guy back by his shirt and connecting his fist with the asshole’s face. He also knees him in his stomach for good measure before swiftly slamming him onto the ground. Blood starts gushing out of the man’s nose as he groans in pain. “I thought I _told you_ to back the fuck off.” 

He takes a moment to breathe before he turns around to see the shorter man, face pale and staring blankly at the ground. “Hey,” Sokka says softly, “Are you okay?” When he looks up, Sokka can see a scar. It covers his entire left eye, two different shades of burnt pink. His eyes are amber, golden, his left smaller than the right. He gasps. Instantly, the shorter man pulls away from him. 

Fuck.

“I never said I needed your help!” He yelled. 

“Are you serious?! That guy was like two times your size!” Sokka yelled back.

At that, the other man scowled. “ You walk up all high and mighty defending me and saying I’m _your boyfriend_. I have no fucking clue who you are!” Sokka was just about to respond to his very valid point and then-

“Watch out!”

The shorter man throws Sokka behind him and he falls right to the ground. He looks up to see that the drunk asshole from before had recovered and come back to swing at him while he turned to comfort the shorter man. And he had blocked the hit.

His jaw was clenched and his amber eyes downright glowed. His fists were bared and you could see tiny sparks coming out of them.

Sokka’s eyes widened in surprise-- he’s a fire bender. 

“And as for _you_ ,” he said, addressing the asshole in front of him, “I suggest you go home and stop fucking bothering people. What kind of _creep_ gropes people at a party?” He punches him directly in the chest, the other man’s feet sliding back. He runs back, only to be blocked once again by the other’s fists. They start really fighting each other then. 

But the shorter man’s moves are so quick and effective, that he leaves the other man out of breath. “I was just trying to have _one good night_ and then you have to come along and _ruin_ that for me!”

He has such a frustrated look in his eyes and you could see the veins popping out of his neck. Finally, he delivers the final blow and the other guy passes out cold dropping to the ground. “Next time someone tells you to leave them alone, you _fucking_ listen.”

As if in a trance, he looks up and sees everyone silently staring at him. He must feel embarrassed because when he looks into Sokka’s eyes his pale skin has turned beet red.

Sokka had been on the sidelines watching the entire scene with widened eyes and his mouth wide open. Not only did he not expect to see such an awesome display of violence at this party tonight but he also didn’t expect to be so... _attracted_ to seeing someone fight. _Hm, that’s new._ He shook the thought out of his head.

He reached out to help the firebender up but the other man pushed him away. And before Sokka could say anything, he was gone.

\--

Zuko needs to get out here _now._

He can feel his chest getting tighter, his anger building up. He just needs to find Toph and get the fuck out of this party.

He takes a quick look around and doesn’t see her outside. _There are more people inside of the house,_ he thinks, maybe she’s just in there. He rushes through the door and the smell of weed smacks him right in the face. _Of course, where else would she be?_

He walks through the foyer of the house and in the living room he sees Toph grinning from ear to ear with a joint in hand. She takes a hit and passes it to the person next to her and gets up walking right over to Zuko.

“Hey,” she says face filled with concern, “Are you alright?”

“How did you know it was me?” Zuko asks. “I heard you coming? And I could sense that something was wrong.” She said like it was obvious. “What’s wrong?” 

Zuko sighed. “I’ll explain it when we get home, for now, let’s go.” Toph puts her hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort and follows him out of the house.

Zuko walks them to the car and as soon as he’s getting into the driver’s side he makes eye contact with the blue-eyed guy from earlier. He feels his face heat up and he ducks into the car, embarrassed and ashamed from the fight earlier. 

When he gets them home, he throws his keys in the bowl by the front door and takes off his shoes. Toph throws herself on the couch, rolling tray already in hand, and passes it to Zuko.

“Alright, pack a bowl and tell good ol’ Toph what’s the matter.” Zuko snorts and doesn’t take the tray, “You literally have everything in your hands already. Why don’t you-”

“Blind girl card!” 

Toph grins throwing the tray at Zuko. Zuko makes a sound of protest as he catches the tray and she repeats herself screaming even louder somehow.

“ALRIGHT! Fine, I’ll pack the bowl this time. I hate it when you do that.” He says begrudgingly as he sits next to her on the couch, getting to work.

Toph cackles and lays down on the couch, crossing her feet. He finished packing the bowl and passes it to Toph. She happily takes a hit and exhales slowly. “That’s the stuff.” She nudges him so he can take a hit too and he lets himself lean back into the couch. 

“What happened tonight, Z? You seemed really upset earlier.” Zuko sighs.

He tells Toph everything; from the guy groping him, the other guy stepping in to play the hero, and ultimately him beating his ass and everyone looking at him like he was insane. He also explains how fucking helpless and irritated the entire situation made him feel. Toph nods along, passing the bong back and forth between them, just listening. 

When Zuko is finished, she sits up and places the bong on the table, and puts an arm around his shoulder. “If I was outside with you, I would’ve kicked that asshole to the end of the block.” Zuko laughs. “I’m sorry that happened. You know what he said about you was fucked up. And you also know that’s not true.”

“How can you be so sure? You don’t even know what I look like.” Zuko points out.

Toph raises her brow, “I just _know_ these kinds of things, Zuko. And plus, that asshole doesn’t even _know_ you. He has no idea what he’s talking about. Besides, it’s not what’s on the outside that counts, your true worth and beauty come from the inside.” Zuko looks at her with an unamused expression. 

“Have you been talking on the phone with my uncle again?” 

“Of course, he has the best stories! Especially ones about you when you were a kid.” Zuko groans, rubbing a hand down his face. Toph punched him in the arm.“Quit being such a baby about it, you know it’s true. You’re not what you think you are, Zuko.”

She leaned over to pick up the bong, “I would also like to point out that the guy who tried helping you out didn’t sound that bad. I’m pretty sure I met him actually, from the way you described him. I might’ve shared a joint with him.”

“You can’t be serious. The guy pretended to be my _boyfriend_ and went all knight in shining armor. I’m _not_ a damsel in distress.” Zuko answered with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest.

Toph laughed. “It’s not like you have an actual boyfriend that would have a problem with it. What’s the big deal?” 

“That’s _not_ the point, Toph! He literally didn’t think I could defend myself and tried to do the most alpha male thing possible to act like he was saving me. It’s embarrassing and humiliating.” He shook his head.Zuko was exhausted, that fight did take a lot out of him. “Whatever, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s just smoke the rest of this and go to bed.”

And they did.

As he got ready for bed, he looked through his phone and saw a message from his Uncle Iroh. It was a picture of these bonsai trees that he just bought. Zuko smiled down at his phone and decided that he should call his Uncle tomorrow morning. He missed him a lot.

As he lay in his bed, he felt himself nodding off. The last thing he could remember before he fell asleep was concerned blue eyes, a kind smile, and tan skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yea, this is happening. and i'm so goddamn excited for it too.
> 
> the title is just pulled from the queen song of the same name. i love me some queen.
> 
> if you told me a year ago that i would be planning and writing zukka fanficiton next to my roommates during a rolling blackout in our great state of texas i would NOT have believed you. and yet, here we are. everyone say thank you, atla renaissance.
> 
> i live for protective!sokka and angsty!zuko and this is simply to fulfill that drastic desire for that in my heart. i'm not sure how often i'll be updating but i am committed to this now so idk, comment and hold me accountable. thank you liz for encouraging and advising me on how to do this!


	2. call it fate, call it karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sokka just wants to sleep in on a saturday but katara won't let that happen.
> 
> zuko just wants to sleep in on a saturday but he's the only one who can seem to answer the front door. thanks a lot, toph.

An alarm is beeping somewhere in the house and Sokka needs them to shut it off immediately. _Tui and La!_ _It’s too early for this shit_ , he thought, _who has an alarm set on a Saturday?_ He shoves his face further into his pillow, already knowing the answer. 

“SOKKA!” 

He groans loudly in response.

“SOKKA!” He hears the screaming come closer and throws his blanket over his head.

His door bursts open and in walks Katara. She promptly walks over to his bed and rips off his covers. He instantly rolls into a ball in the middle of his bed, complaining about the cold. Sokka tries to remember why he thought moving in with his little sister was a good idea. Especially after she opens the curtains and then _raises the blinds_ to let the sunshine in. 

Directly into Sokka’s eyes.

“ _Good_ _morning_ , brother dear.” She says in a fake syrupy tone as she throws herself onto the bed. He hears someone in the kitchen, the sizzling of a frying pan, and the fridge is opened. “How’d you sleep? Also, Aang is cooking breakfast and I’m bored, so get up.”  
  
Sokka glares at her from his position on the bed and sits up. “How’d I sleep? Hm, I don’t know. I was still in the middle of it before you started screeching my name. Why do I need to be up early _with_ you?!”

“Just because you went out last night doesn’t mean you get to sleep through our plans for today.” Katara bites back with her arms crossed. Sokka’s face paled, _plans?? What plans?_ He didn’t school his expression in time because Katara noticed before he could. 

“We’re going to the farmer’s market? And then out to lunch. Wait-- did you _forget_?”

Sokka laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Of course not, I just… I’m hungover? Yea, I’m just hungover. I didn’t forget.” Katara glared at him. “ _Come on_ , I just woke up. You can’t hold that against me. And plus, last night _was_ a little crazy.” 

Memories from the night before come flooding in. Sokka stepped in to stop a fight, amber eyes, and...a scar. And he also remembered seeing clenched fists with tiny sparks of flame coming out of them.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Katara, rolling her eyes. “It’s always a ‘crazy night out for you’ every weekend. Give your liver a rest or I’m calling dad.” Sokka looked at her, narrowing his eyes at the evil grin on her face. “You know he’ll drive down here and give you an intervention about it, too.”

“I didn’t mean it was a crazy night because I got trashed, Katara. I got into a fight last night.” He said matter-of-factly. Katara gasps. _Wait, maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say,_ he thinks. 

“A _fight_? Oh, I’m definitely calling dad.” She’s already reaching for her phone and Sokka snatches the phone from her hand. “Hey, give that back!” Sokka gets off the bed and holds it above his head. Katara huffs and in an instant, Sokka has water drenching his face, his hands notably empty. He starts coughing at the amount that got into his mouth when he looked up. 

“You’re _so lucky_ I have my waterproof case on right now or you would’ve owed me a new phone. Give me one good reason not to call dad.” Katara says with a challenging look in her eyes.

He wipes the water from his face with a towel he finds hanging on his closet door. “I’m not just out there looking for trouble, Katara. I got into a fight last night because I defended this guy who was being harassed.” Sokka said. “But it turns out that he didn’t need my help and he didn’t appreciate it either.” He adds, rolling his eyes.

“Why didn’t you start with that then! Is the guy okay? Did you know him?”

“You didn’t exactly give me a chance to explain earlier. But yes, the guy is fine. We had it handled.” He isn’t gonna tell her about being caught off guard and thrown out of the way because that’s just not necessary. Also, it’s embarrassing and he would like to have some dignity left. “And no, actually. I don’t know him. I didn’t catch his name either… I probably should’ve asked. The only thing I can really pinpoint about him though is that he has this...scar. And it takes up his entire left eye. It looks really painful or like it was painful. The guy who was harassing him called him disfigured because of it. So naturally, I kicked his ass.”

Katara nods, “Good. That motherfucker deserved it then. I’m glad you did that.”

“Glad he did what?” Aang says as he walks in with a tray full of food in his hands. Sokka’s stomach grumbles fiercely just smelling it. Thank the Spirits for Aang. 

“He kicked this guy’s ass because he was harassing someone at a party last night,” Katara responds as she helps Aang set everything down. Aang looks at Sokka with a wide grin on his face. “Not bad, dude. That’s mighty heroic of you.”

Sokka is already face deep into the food that Aang brought in but he manages to respond. “I try my best. You know me, always looking out for the little guy.” And then underestimating the little guy’s abilities and getting his ass handed to him. He can’t let that go for some reason. Ugh.

They all talk a little more while they eat on the floor of Sokka’s room, the tray of food between them. Katara mentions how draining her lectures are for organic chemistry and what a pain in the ass her professor is. She can never seem to catch a break with him. Aang talks about his time volunteering at the animal shelter. There are a lot of new strays that came in this week and he can’t wait to play with and feed all of them. Sokka talks about his classes a little and how excited he is for a new movie that comes out next week that he can’t wait to see.

After they finish their breakfast, they go their separate ways to dress and get ready for the day.

-

Their trip to the farmer’s market was nice. They walked around for a while and picked up some fresh fruit that Sokka personally couldn’t wait to get into later. There were vendors there selling things other than food, like handmade jewelry, clay decorations, and all sorts of stuff. They bought some things here and there and went to lunch a few hours later. 

And now Sokka is walking right up to their dealer’s door to pick up because Katara won’t go in this time. She can’t risk being seen picking up weed on a Saturday afternoon. She’s trying to be a doctor, _hello_ . And of course, Aang couldn’t do it because he’s driving, _whatever_. So only Sokka is left to fulfill the task.

He knocks on the door and he hears shuffling before it opens. And-

Well.

He didn’t expect to see the guy from the night before answering the door but life has a funny way of making things happen for Sokka. The guy is wearing his hair up in a topknot on his head and he’s dressed in a black shirt and _grey sweatpants_. The guy seems to recognize him too because the instant he sets eyes on Sokka, he steps back, surprise flooding his features. “Um,” he says awkwardly, hand holding open the door.

“I’m here to um, pick up?” And Sokka’s voice breaks on the last two words because the Spirits are out to get him.

\---

Zuko can’t believe this is happening.

It figures that he would be woken up by knocking at the front door and the big buff idiot that tried to save him at the party last night would be behind it. As if Zuko looked so helpless and in need of saving. As if Zuko doesn’t know how to stand up for himself. He’s more than capable, thank you very much.

The guy has a painfully awkward look on his face, his blue eyes looking everywhere but at Zuko. He has a slit in his right eyebrow that just _works_ for him. He’s wearing a blue cut-off shirt that is showing off his arms with the shortest basketball shorts imaginable. His thighs are...so muscular, he’s obviously an athlete. Zuko can’t help but stare at the taller man in appreciation. 

“Zuko!!! Can you let Twinkletoes in? I’m still getting his shit together!” yelled Toph from somewhere inside the house. Zuko snaps out his daze, feeling his face heat up. _She can’t be serious_ , thought Zuko. He’s still groggy from waking up _not even_ five minutes ago and now he has company in his living room. He hasn’t even made his morning tea! _Why do I sound like Uncle?_

He lets the guy (Twinkletoes?) inside and as soon as he steps foot in the house he hears Toph’s voice again. “Hey, you’re not Aang! But I do know you. Were you at that party last night off Second Street?” Zuko snorts. Of course, Toph would try to have a conversation without even being in the room.

He looks at the guy, still awkwardly standing in front of him. He looks around confused, not seeing Toph but still answers, “Yeah, I was at that party last night! I think we shared a joint. Also, my name’s not Twinkletoes. It’s Sokka!” Cool, now his name won’t be ‘big buff idiot that tried to save him' in his mind. Not that he thinks about him enough that he needs to know- Don’t question him on that.

“Aang sent me in to pick up for him. He’s in the car.” Sokka added. “Ohhh, alright,” Toph said walking in, bag in her hand. She hands it to Sokka and he pockets it. “Make sure to tell him that since he’s too lazy to get out of the car that he needs to come over and smoke soon. Just tell him to text me.” She nudges Zuko with a grin on her face. Zuko looks at her confused.

  
Sokka doesn’t seem to notice or care and shrugs. “Alright, I’ll let him know. Thank you.”

“Byee, Sokka.” She smirks and waves him off. Zuko scowls and right before he walks out the door, Sokka looks at Zuko. _Really_ looks at him, his eyes now a blue-grey color, like he’s taking him in. His intense gaze makes Zuko’s face heat up for the second time that day.

As soon as the door closed, Zuko started walking towards the bathroom. He hadn’t even brushed his teeth yet. He leaves the door open behind him which was a _mistake_ because Toph follows him with a huge grin on her face. “Why was your heart beating so fast?”

Zuko has his toothbrush held up to his mouth, he pauses. “What are you talking about?”

Toph laughed. “Come on, Zuko. You’re so obvious.”

“I _just_ woke up.” He goes back to brushing his teeth. Toph scoffs at him, crossing her arms. “Pfft! That is not how that works and you know it, Sparky.” _What is she trying to get at?_ He doesn’t even know Sokka yet.

He rinses his toothbrush and turns the faucet off. “I didn’t expect to see Sokka so soon again. I didn’t think I would see him ever again. So, I was just taken off guard. You really are the plug of the people, though. You know everyone.” He hopes he can get away with changing the subject.

Toph raises a brow, “Yeah, _sure_ . I know you’re just flattering me right now but I’ll let it slide. Are you hungry?” _Phew, it worked._ “A little,” he responds, “I just _really_ want some tea right now. I’ll make you a cup too.”  
  


He makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing the kettle. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, calling his Uncle’s number. It rings for maybe a second before he picks up. “Hello, nephew.” Zuko smiles.

“Uncle, good morning. I know it’s noon but I’m having my first cup of tea so it’s technically morning for me.” Iroh laughs. “Of course! Good morning. How have you been sleeping?”

Zuko hesitates. He doesn’t want to worry his Uncle but he also doesn’t want to lie to him. “Not so well,” he starts in a low voice so Toph doesn’t hear him. “I’ve been having...nightmares again.” His Uncle sighs.

“Have you been talking to Toph about them?” 

“I’ve been meaning to mention it to her but she gets busy… I don’t want to burden her with that.”

Zuko knows that Toph will always make time for him. Especially if he wants to talk about something. But there are just some things that he feels protective of. He can’t help it. His pain isn’t easy to open up about. His nightmares...even less. All he ever sees is his _father_ and clenched fists and anger, _fear._

“ _Zuko_ ,” his Uncle says, “You are not a burden. Toph will listen to you when you need her to, as will I. But we can only do that if you let us. Let _yourself_ be vulnerable.” His voice is earnest and warm, always a grounding presence even miles and miles away. “It’s _so hard_ , Uncle.” His voice sounds weak even to his own ears. And he can’t help but think about what he was called last night, _disfigured._ He feels shame course through him, ugly and taking root in his stomach.

_It’s not your fault_ , he reminds yourself. _It’s never been your fault._ He wipes the wetness from his eyes. The kettle starts whistling on top of the stove and he grabs a towel in order to grab it. “But, I’ll try my best. To talk about them. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“You know you can always call me.” He can see his Uncle’s smile. “Did you see the pictures I sent you?” He raved about his week, his unbeatable pai sho streak against the men who live in his building, the plants, and the nice older woman he met at the market. Zuko promised to call him more often before he hung up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe here's chapter two!
> 
> i have a plan in mind for this fic... please forgive me for what's to come. as always, thank you liz for being the best beta a girl could ask for. i wouldn't know where to start with my ideas for this fic if it weren't for u. zukka lives on.
> 
> this chapter's title comes from the song of the same name by the strokes.
> 
> ALSO [here's](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JZDRZhHTEujC98B49l6ZB?si=DK2WYmwZQhi1TyU8uJoRvQ) a playlist i made for zuko (i truly believe he would have these songs on repeat, that angsty boy)


	3. ice dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko can't sleep. sokka can't sleep. they have too much on their minds and no one to talk to about it.

_ Zuko is scared. _

_ He feels around the room he’s in, unable to see, his vision is shadowed. After a moment, he realizes that he’s not in a room at all. All he sees is endless and vacant darkness surrounding him. No floor, no walls, no ceiling. It’s so isolating. And just the thought that there is no way out makes everything worse.  _

_ The loud slamming of a door rings throughout the vacant space and his entire body freezes in place. He knows that sound all too well. He knows what it means.  _ Who  _ is about to enter the room. _

_ He clenches his eyes shut. A menacing laugh sounds through his ears, “You have learned nothing,” the voice says. All Zuko can do is shake his head, refusing to open his eyes. “You were lucky to be bor-” _

_ “Leave me alone,” Zuko says, it takes everything in him not to open his eyes. He knows who he’ll see. He knows what he’ll feel. _

_ “Hm…I thought you were better than this,” the voice says, dripping with disappointment. “What would your mother say if she saw you now? Saw you trembling in fear because of someone’s  _ voice.  _ How pathetic.” Tears stream down Zuko’s face, shame filling his chest. _

_ All he can do is shake his head, denying the words. “Leave Mom out of this!” _

_ “She’d hate what you’ve become, Zuko. But you already know that don’t you? Deep down inside. You know.” An overwhelming emotion fills Zuko then, he has to remind himself to keep breathing.  _ Slow and steady _ , he reminds himself. _

_ “Look at me when I’m talking to you, Zuko.” _

_ Dread makes a home in his stomach then. He knows what comes next.  _ Don’t do it, don’t look at him. This isn’t real.  _ He hears heavy steps approaching him and his heart starts beating faster. Where does he go? There aren’t any doors around even if he heard one earlier, there aren’t even any walls. _

_ He feels a presence standing directly in front of him. _

_ Zuko’s tears start falling faster, sobs threatening to escape his mouth. He found himself sitting down unable to stand up so he starts to scoot back as fast as he can but the presence catches up with him. He opens his eyes. _

_ He immediately sees just how sinister the eyes of his father are as he stands in front of him. _

Zuko gasps, fear making his chest feel tight. There are tears streaming down his face and he’s trying to calm himself down. He can’t seem to calm himself down but he knows that he can’t sit in the dark any longer.

His hands are shaking as he sits up in his bed to turn the lamp on from his bedside.

A warm glow lights up his room. 

It’s been hours since he said goodnight to Toph. The last thing he wanted was to be alone, as much as he hates admitting it. His nightmares have been getting worse for weeks now. The night before the party was one of the first nights in a long time that he got some rest.

But that got ruined pretty quickly after the fight. His nightmares started back up again that night.

Zuko hadn’t meant to fall asleep either. He gets by on taking naps during the day and plays it off when he gets asked about it. It’s one thing to talk about how bad the nightmares are without giving details, it’s another to tell them that they’ve made him too afraid to fall asleep. It almost sounds like he’s afraid of his own mind.

And his body is tired, very tired, but he can’t bring himself to close his eyes. He doesn’t want to feel hopeless again. He doesn’t want to be reminded of the past. Before he started living with Uncle Iroh and Azula. Before Toph. Before he healed.

He still has a lot of healing left to do.

He thinks about going to wake Toph up but it’s nearly two in the morning. A pang of instant guilt strikes him at the thought of doing that.  _ No,  _ Zuko thinks,  _ I can’t just go waking people up in the middle of the night because of a bad dream. I’m not a child. _

Even if he really feels like one right now.

His hands are still trembling and his chest is still tight but he doesn’t want to focus on that too much. It’ll just feel worse if he does. So he reaches for the remote on his bedside table and turns on the TV. As soon as he does, a movie is playing, Edward Scissorhands.

Zuko decides to leave the movie on. He hasn’t seen the whole movie, only some parts of it. He vaguely remembers the plot. He knows Johnny Depp is in it and that’s good enough for him. The music calms him down at the very least. His hands are no longer shaking, which is a good sign. 

Zuko watches as Edward Scissorhands is gifted a pair of human hands. The inventor is holding them in front of Edward as he admires them, his scissored hands gently going over them, careful not to cut. And Edward looks so happy and filled with emotion at the thought of finally getting  _ real hands _ that the instant the inventor’s face changes, he realizes something is wrong. As the inventor collapses to the floor, Edward reaches out for him, breaking through the skin of the hands in front of him.

He looks down at the fallen inventor as he lays on the ground. His eyes are closed and Edward bends down to touch his face and when he pulls away, there is blood. The inventor doesn’t move.

Zuko takes in a shaky breath, eyes watering. Damn, he hadn’t realized just how intense the opening of the movie was. Now Edward is all alone. He’s isolated on top of that dark and scary hill. No one to talk to, nowhere to go, the man who was basically his father died before he could replace his hands. And things stayed that way for years, Zuko didn’t realize it had been years.

He didn’t think he’d get so invested in a movie he hadn’t even bothered to watch all the way through the first time. That’s changed now though because Zuko has a love for characters like Edward’s. The more he watches, the more he understands him.

And suddenly the thought occurs to him: Zuko is much like Edward Scissorhands himself.

People treat Edward differently because of something he can’t change, something  _ his father _ did. Zuko knows all too well what that feels like. People have preconceived ideas of who he is, that he’ll only hurt others because of that difference. Zuko fears every day that his anger will get the better of him and he’ll lash out and push the people he loves away without meaning to. 

Though Edward barely speaks throughout the movie, Zuko can feel every emotion that he sees on the screen. He can relate to it. Regardless of the fantastical situation that Edward Scissorhands is in, Zuko feels it.

Before long, he forgets about the nightmare he woke up from. He laughs during the movie, he cries during the movie. He listens to the beautiful score and he feels better. Kim and Edward don’t end up together in the end but that doesn’t bother Zuko.

And Edward doesn’t die. He’s alive and breathing and most importantly, he’s okay. He’s okay regardless of what he’s been through. All he does is make sure it snows down on Kim from his place on the mountain as he carves his ice sculptures.

This gives Zuko some twisted sort of hope.

Because Edward was loved. Loved by Kim, loved by Peg, he found a family that cared about him and his well-being. Even if he doesn’t get to stay in the end. He felt love in some shape or form. And that’s something Zuko wants for himself. He gets it from Azula and his Uncle, he even gets it from Toph.

  
He wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world but there’s always the lingering thought of something more. He wants to love and be loved by someone so unconditionally, despite his faults and his insecurities. The movie somehow made him realize that it’s not impossible for him to achieve that.

As the credits roll, he’s filled with a sense of longing.

—-

It’s 2 AM and surprise surprise, Sokka  _ isn’t _ asleep.

And granted, he isn’t trying very hard to. That’s a huge factor, after all. 

But he just isn’t tired yet. He’s tossed and turned in his bed for over an hour now. Nothing is helping either! He thought about doing some work for class before quickly realizing that he finished it earlier in the day. Damn him for scheduling time to do his homework before the weekend started.

Looking through his phone is making him feel restless and no amount of soothing music or ASMR videos are doing it for him either. All he has is this weird feeling that he just can’t shake, he just feels  _ off. _

He can’t even explain why or what caused it. He just knows that it’s not going to leave anytime soon. He’s royally fucked. And every time he closes his eyes he sees golden eyes, the pale skin underneath slightly purple. He sees those same eyes widen in surprise at seeing him. He sees those eyes linger on him for a moment, contemplative.

Sokka can’t get Zuko out of his stupid head.

Why does he feel such a pull towards him? He’s spent maybe ten minutes total around the guy and he can’t figure out why he’s attracted to him. This is a new feeling for him.

It isn’t like it’s unfathomable for him to recognize that Zuko is attractive, it’s not a foreign concept to recognize a man’s good looks. But this feels different. And Sokka doesn’t know why.

Why is he feeling this way? 

Or better yet, why did it take Sokka so long to feel this way. He thought he knew himself pretty well by now. You know, seeing as he’s 21 years old and literally lived inside his own body the entire time. He sighs deeply, rubbing his hands over his face. He’s not even making any sense.

He gets out of bed, turns on the light, and gets dressed for the gym.  _ And maybe if I tire myself out, I’ll fall asleep,  _ he thinks. So he grabs his keys as quietly as he can and he heads out the door.

-

Sokka feels the burn of his muscles as he brings the bar back down to his chest. 

There is sweat gathering on his forehead, slowly dropping down his face and he feels his shirt stick to his back. He’s been here for a half-hour already and he’s still not tired.

The only sounds in the gym are his breathing and the clinking of metal on metal as he sets the bar down in front of him. He decides to do a few more reps and stops, giving himself a break. He takes a long swig from his water bottle and he pauses for a moment.

He moves on to the treadmills which are tucked in a corner at the other end of the gym. He turns on the machine and sets a steady pace. It isn’t enough to make him break a sweat, he’s only warming up after all. But before long, his jogging has turned into running.

There’s an exhilarating feeling that comes with running that Sokka has always loved. Of course, he hates when he has to do extra laps at practice but that’s because it’s used as a punishment. There’s no goal with the running he’s doing now, he’s just letting himself enjoy it. Letting himself enjoy the burning in his lungs, pushing his limits as much as he can.

Working out is something he knows how to do without thinking too much about it. It’s something he’s sure of. He can feel his body and he can feel his breathing and that  _ grounds _ him.

He will need to think about everything that was bothering him eventually. But it can’t hurt anybody to put it off just a little longer can it? It’s not like he intends to ever see Zuko again… right?

Wait—that’s not true.

Toph said something about hanging out with Aang soon so they could smoke. And if he remembers correctly, he was invited. And if he remembers correctly, that was set to happen soon. Soon, as in within the next week, soon. Sokka stumbles but catches himself on the handles of the treadmill.

Just the thought of seeing Zuko again makes his heart race in a way that’s never happened while he was working out before. 

He has  _ really _ gotta get a handle on himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've gone through and made some little changes to the last chapter, nothing major just the title and a clothes description LMAO
> 
> there will be zukka interaction soon, no need to worry about that. y'all aren't ready for what's to come, i'm sure of it. I'M not even ready for it, quite frankly.
> 
> this chapter's title comes from ice dance by danny elfman (the theme for edward and kim in edward scissorhands)
> 
> once again, thank you 4 reading, i love all of you dearly
> 
> <3


	4. started with a spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sokka has had quite the week. he just wants to relax.
> 
> zuko just likes to know what's going on. that's not too much to ask it it?

It has been a  _ very _ stressful week for Sokka.

There’s just so much due for him! He has a paper that almost killed him that he put off writing for as long as he possibly could and  _ hey _ , what can he say? He’s not much of a writer, he’s  _ way _ better at math than English.

There’s also busywork that his other two classes gave him. That isn’t that difficult but setting aside the time to do it is the problem. He feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day.

And now there’s a fucking  _ group project. _ It’s a weekly thing, but it’s going to take a while to complete this time around and Sokka can feel himself already losing his patience. And there wasn’t much to begin with.

Why is Sokka studying civil engineering again? 

Maybe because he likes to  _ suffer. _

Okay, maybe he’s exaggerating. He really loves what he’s studying and he can’t wait to graduate but  _ Tui and La. _ The  _ one class _ he didn’t expect to have a group project in is his Civil Engineering Materials course. The lab for the class on the other hand… that’s a different story.

So here he is, arguing with an asshole.

“Listen, I think that it would be best if we divided up the work based on our strong suits. Teo, you should take the—”

“Who decided to make you the leader of the group?” Jet, the asshole in question, interrupted. He was leaned back in his chair, arms crossed with his dark hair covering his eyes. He has a toothpick between his teeth and a smirk on his face.

Sokka resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead. “All of us just decided this right now. You’ve been sitting here this  _ entire _ time! You didn’t say a word so we just assumed that you agreed with us.”

Jet sat up with a challenging look in his eye, “You know what they say about assuming, Sokka.”

Sokka’s resolve was slipping and he was just  _ this much  _ closer to punching this jerk right in the face. He just needed a reason, any reason, he— He needs to breathe, actually. So he takes a moment to collect himself. “No one else seemed to have a problem with it, Jet. I also don’t have time to argue with you about this, the sooner we decide who is doing what, the better. We can’t keep doing this every week.”

Jet scoffed at that, getting out of his chair and stretching his arms. “Whatever, just email me what I have to do. I’m out of here.” The others simply looked at him with tired expressions on their faces as he walked away. This is a two-hour-long lab, and sure, it’s once a week but that’s what makes it all the more frustrating at the end of it when Jet acts like this.

As soon as he leaves, Sokka groans the loudest he has in a while. “I just don’t understand what that guy’s problem is! He has to fight me every week about this.”

“I know, Sokka,” Teo says, rolling to Sokka’s side, placing a hand on his arm to comfort him, “He probably just feels threatened or something. I know some of his other friends that go here and they say he can be very… particular about how he does things. It’s ‘his way or the highway’. The best thing you can do is keep standing your ground.”

Sokka nodded, “You’re right. I just don’t appreciate my knowledge being questioned all the time. We’re all here for a reason. But let’s forget about it, we still have some work to do and then we can finally go home.”

Sokka and the rest of the group discussed what roles each person would be taking up and it wasn’t long before they parted ways. Teo, thank the Spirits, offered to email Jet a rough overview of what they discussed and now that’s one less thing for Sokka to worry about.

Now, all there’s left to do is go to practice. That’s gonna do a number on him.

-

It’s safe to say that Sokka is glad that it’s Friday. He can  _ finally _ relax and do what he wants.

And this weekend, he’s taking Katara’s advice and staying in. Well, kind of.

They’re set to go over to Toph’s later today to smoke but that isn’t  _ going out _ . Hanging out at someone’s place is hardly a rager. Sokka also is going to keep in mind to  _ not _ be a weirdo today when he inevitably sees Zuko. He knows he stares a lot. And he can’t help it.

He’s trying to figure Zuko out. And he may or may not get the opportunity to do that tonight, who knows?

What he  _ does  _ know is that he’s ready to get so high that he can’t feel his body. He could really use that. Weightlifting is picking back up again, so he’s been training more often. You’d think that increasing training just one more time a week wouldn’t make such a difference but it  _ does,  _ Sokka certainly _ feels _ the difference. All he does is stretch and ice whatever areas he can and use this salve that Katara got from Gran Gran. But it can only do so much.

Hours later after a well-deserved nap, some studying, and a snack he got ready. Katara had come in earlier to remind him that they were leaving soon and to remember to put on deodorant ( _ Okay, mom??).  _ And he got excited all over again at the prospect of getting high and hanging out and just having interaction outside of class, practice, and work.

Speaking of work, he just started his new job this week. Because it seemed like the universe couldn’t keep him busy enough. It’s not bad so far, he’s only doing part-time so it’s not too overwhelming.

“Sokka, we’re heading out!” Katara’s voice rang through the apartment.

“Coming!” He yelled back. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys and followed them out of the apartment.

\--

Zuko is going to  _ kill _ Toph.

That’s the only thought that runs through his head as soon as he walks out of his room. And why, you may ask?

Well, it’s just that there are people inside of his house. Those people notably being Aang and his girlfriend  _ and _ Sokka. They’re chatting with Toph as they walk through their front door and as soon as Zuko is face to face with them, all he can do is stare with a blank look on his face. “Uh-”

Aang is wearing a pair of oversized black tapered pants with a white t-shirt tucked in and some white sneakers. His girlfriend is standing next to him, arm wrapped in his, wearing some ripped, blue mom jeans and a flannel shirt. She has a kind look in her blue eyes, her long brown hair down on her shoulders, two strands framing her face. Aang is wearing a bright smile (when  _ isn’t _ he) as he looks at her. Zuko liked how sunny Aang was, always having a lot of positive energy.

And Sokka…Sokka is staring at him. He has his blue eyes trained on Zuko, his eyebrow with a slit cut into it cocked up, his gaze gliding up to meet him. He’s always  _ staring  _ and Zuko feels a familiar heat traveling to his cheeks. He’s already blushing and Sokka  _ just got here. _

_ This can’t be happening. _

“Hey, Zuko!” Aang greets warmly. He reaches out and brings Zuko into a tight hug. He’s so nice to ignore, what Zuko is  _ sure _ looks like, _ the visible distress _ he’s in. The thing is, Zuko always likes to be prepared for company, he prefers for Toph to tell him beforehand so he can get a chance to make their place look presentable and  _ oh my Agni _ was it even  _ clean _ —

Wait.

Toph  asked _ insisted  _ that he do his cleaning of the house yesterday (Thursday) instead of today (Friday). She didn’t explain why and he didn’t ask.  _ That sneaky bitch. _

“Um, hi, Aang. I wasn’t expecting to see you today. But, how are you?” Zuko says in a weak and pained voice, hugging back. Aang pulls away from the hug, with a confused look. “Oh— Toph told us that you would be free today. I thought you knew.” 

Toph herself laughs awkwardly at Aang’s side. “Oops, must’ve slipped my mind.” Zuko just glares at her and she clears her throat, rubbing her hands together, “But  _ anyway,  _ what are we standing around for? Let’s get down to business.” And just like that, she’s leading them all to the living room.

The others lead the way, Toph lingering behind. “So, listen, before you get all  _ blegh why didn’t you say anything to me _ ,” She begins as soon as they are out of earshot.

Zuko stops her there, “One, I don’t sound like that. And two, it is completely okay for me to be upset right now.” He crosses his arms.

“I thought you would appreciate it,” Toph says with a shrug, “Seeing as you have the hots for Sokka and all.”   
  
_ The hots for Sokka— _

“What?! Oh my  _ god— _ ” He yells, his voice going up at least two octaves. And it was maybe a bit too loud because Aang’s voice appears at their side, “Is everything okay?”

Zuko looks at him with a hopefully normal look on his face and nods his head. “Yes, of course. We were just… um,” His mind is blank.

Toph comes to his rescue by explaining to Aang that they were having a “family meeting” real quick and would be right there soon. And Aang, bless his heart, just shrugged and went back to the living room, accepting her answer.

“Come on, Z. Let’s not keep our company waiting.” Toph grinned at him, wide and mischievous, knowing that Zuko would give in. He always does, damn it.

When they get to the living room, everyone is already sitting down. Thankfully neither of their three guests seemed to be worried about their brief disappearance, all chatting amongst themselves. Aang and Katara have claimed the loveseat to the right of Toph and Sokka is…

He’s sitting in the spot that is usually reserved for Zuko when they have company over so they can be closer to Toph.  _ It’s no big deal,  _ Zuko tells himself,  _ it’s just a seat. Toph better not get any ideas about this either. Not that there’s any reason to… _

“Do us the honors, Zuko my boy,” Toph said as soon as they sat down on the couch, handing Zuko the joint.

Zuko rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face as he accepted the joint from her. He grabs for the lighter and ashtray that are sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He flicks  the lighter and holds the flame over the tip of the joint, slowly twisting it in his hands so that the flame can burn slowly and evenly. He inhaled little puffs from it until it was ready, blowing out the smoke from his first hit.

He hands the joint to Sokka, who takes it gratefully, inhaling and letting out a relaxed sigh, smoke filling up the air in front of him. “Oh yea, I needed this.” They all laughed. Sokka sat up to pass the joint to Katara, “I’m serious. You will not believe the week that I’ve had.”

He goes into a story about all the assignments he had to complete for the week, Zuko listening attentively. He watched as Sokka moved his hands to tell his story, complaining about someone named Jet who wouldn’t stop questioning his ability to lead some group project he has due soon.

“Come on, Sokka, Jet can’t be all that bad,” Aang says, his lids already dipping down low from the few hits of the joint. He tapped it on the side of the ashtray, “Maybe you just need to sit down and talk to him. Ask him why he’s acting this way.”

“Aang, don’t take this the wrong way, but I would rather lick the bottom of Toph’s foot before talking to Jet about his  _ feelings.  _ We’re obviously enemies.” Zuko laughed at that, eyes widening before he covered his mouth with his hand, trying to conceal the sound. Sokka turned to him with a smile on his face, “I’m glad my pain and misery are funny to someone. Really turns it around for me.”

Zuko felt his face heat up and he quickly turned away from Sokka. 

A bowl later and everyone is starting to get comfortable.

Aang and Katara have decidedly stretched their bodies over the loveseat, practically lying on top of each other, lovesick smiles on their faces. Toph is sitting on the couch next to Zuko, legs crossed and grinning. And Sokka is getting more and more relaxed as time goes by. His body is practically sinking into the couch underneath him, oblivious to the world.

Oblivious until it’s his turn to take a hit that is.

Otherwise, the gang has to practically yell at him the entire time they talk to him to keep his attention. 

And then there’s Zuko, who feels himself get less tense, the muscles in his back slowly relaxing as he lets himself lean back. There’s this pleasant and warm feeling flowing through his body and he can feel himself smiling, unable to hold it back.

At some point, rotation changed up because then Zuko passed to Toph instead of Sokka.  _ Weird, when did that happen?  _ And Aang is telling cute stories about all the animals he’s gotten to see at the shelter he volunteers at.

“Agni, I  _ love  _ turtle ducks. So much.” Zuko said, an almost dreamy look on his face. He didn’t even care that he was admitting that out loud to Aang, Katara, and Sokka all he could think about is how  _ cute  _ the small animals are.  _ Uncle has so many back home, I gotta bring one back the next time I visit him.  _

“Me too!” Agreed Katara, “They are the most adorable animal in the world. Not including Appa of course,” She had a grin on her face as she looked up at Aang from her spot on the loveseat. “Could you pass this to Sokka, please babe? I don’t want to get up right now.” Aang laughed, shooting a loving look to Katara as he sat up, joint and ashtray in hand.

Sokka must’ve come back down to Earth and acknowledged the group at that moment because instead of waiting for Aang to hand him the ashtray, he met him halfway.

Which meant leaning forward. 

And leaning over.

Leaning over Zuko.

Zuko felt pinned to the spot as the weight of Sokka’s arms covered him, using him as extra support. He wasn’t uncomfortable by any means. Honestly, all Zuko could think of was  _ arms, arms, arms _ as Sokka’s taut muscles and warm skin met his.

In an instant, Sokka’s body was gone, once again sitting at Zuko’s side. But all the man could think about was how absolutely huge Sokka’s arms were. He didn’t know what sport he played, he just knows he does, but it does wonders for him truly.

_ Agni Almighty, Sokka can’t be real. Just look at the size of those things. This is insane. I wonder what they feel like… _

Zuko reached out to touch Sokka’s arm. 

When skin met skin, Zuko felt a chill run through him. Sokka’s skin wasn’t cold but just the act of touching his arm and _ feeling  _ the muscle underneath his hand made Zuko feel— and then he realized what he was doing.

He quickly pulled his hand away, hoping no one else saw what he did. It’s not like touching someone’s arm was a crime but Zuko didn’t usually reach out and touch virtual strangers' arms when sober. Luckily, the others were engrossed in a conversation, Sokka included.

Until he turned for a brief moment, looking at Zuko, lids low and the only visible part of his eyes red, “Hm?” He hummed softly. Zuko felt his heart racing a mile a minute and all he could mumble in response was, “Oh, nothing. M’ sorry.”

Sokka absentmindedly patted his arm and turned back to Aang, Katara, and Toph.

_ Holy shit. _

The night progressed like any smoke sesh night would, hazy and fun and not 100% able to be remembered. They were all laughing and telling stories to each other, just enjoying each other's company. 

Zuko hadn’t felt this comfortable around anyone other than Toph, Azula, and Uncle in a long time.

When the night came to a close, Toph and Zuko walked the others to the door. They slipped on their shoes and exchanged goodbyes, Aang and now, Katara hugging him goodbye. They had really had some good conversations about what music she liked to listen to and Zuko expressed how glad he was to meet her.

When it came to Sokka, he gave him a side hug and wished him a better week. Sokka rested his arm on Zuko’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you, Zuko. Have a good night.” Zuko’s heart jumped. And then they walked out of the door and they were gone.

“ _ Don’t  _ start with me,” He immediately said as soon as the door closed. He turned to see Toph with a shit-eating grin on her face. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t say anything  _ yet.” _

“Someone’s imagining things. Have you been sleeping, Zuko?”   
  
Zuko grumbled and headed straight to his room, “Yea, yea, whatever.” He smiled as soon as the door was closed, letting himself reflect on the few hours that they were here. He threw himself back on his bed, arms behind his head.

It was the best Friday night he’s had in a while.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! here's chapter 4 :) liz and i've been planning and i was almost too lazy to submit the chapter but i know i needed to do it before a certain (personally set) time, hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> the chapter title comes from stargazing by the neighborhood <3


End file.
